A Big Night Out in Melbourne: Drinking as an Enactment of Class and Gender

Abstract

Alcohol is a ubiquitous substance in Western cultures but knowledge about contemporary drinking cultures and consumption contexts is relatively sparse. Examining the ways in which drink choice and drinking settings are differentiated opens up new areas for analysis and health intervention. Drinking is not simply shaped by variables such as class and gender but is an enactment and expression of these social divisions. What, where, and how a person drinks is a simultaneous enactment of class and gender. This argument is based on research of drinking practices in pubs and clubs in Melbourne, Australia. The project used a qualitative methodology which involved a series of 30 field observations in 10 licensed premises. In addition 35 patrons (15 females and 20 males) aged 18–30 were recruited from the venues and participated in qualitative interviews about their drinking practices. Understanding drinking as an expression of social location has implications for models of alcohol research and health interventions.